McLean County, Illinois: hazard risk
FEMA rates McLean County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 86.9 of 100, higher than 86% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, drought, winter weather. Its storm record holds 1,003 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 98.1 | $26M |
| Drought | Relatively High | 93.0 | $2.6M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 85.3 | $358K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 89.6 | $8.8M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 88.3 | $1.9M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 85.2 | $2.6M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 85.2 | $33M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 81.8 | $1.8M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 71.6 | $302K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 57.4 | $386K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 82.3 | $2.7M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 49.2 | $2K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 32.5 | $22K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 8.9 | $4K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 368 | 1 | $13M | 91st of 102 | 1792nd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 245 | 0 | $10K | 65th of 102 | 1453rd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 122 | 0 | $67M | 13th of 102 | 182nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 99 | 9 | $3.5M | 98th of 102 | 2112th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 52 | 0 | $14M | 96th of 102 | 1905th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 37 | 0 | $38K | 66th of 102 | 1745th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 29 | 4 | – | 80th of 102 | 1120th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 21 | 4 | – | 76th of 102 | 1459th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 20 | 0 | $112M | 82nd of 102 | 1862nd of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $520K | 46th of 102 | 1227th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full McLean County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.